To hell and back to Save the Arctic

This morning at 4 a.m. I hugged my fellow climbers good luck before heading out to climb Gazprom's oil platform, the Prirazlomnaya, from the Arctic Sunrise.

It was a terrifying moment for me as I jumped into the inflatable boat in total darkness; I knew the Russian Coast Guard was waiting for us. They had been on our tail since Monday, watching our every move, and I could see the huge water cannons in the distance. But we had a mission and we were determined: to stop the world’s first oil from being produced from ice-filled Arctic waters.

It didn't take long to reach the platform and when I did, two of the climbers had already managed to get a line up so we could start our ascent. Before I had a chance to scale the platform, two boats headed towards us from the Coast Guard vessel, with people wearing military camouflage clothing and balaclavas. It felt like I was living through a horror movie as they rammed into us. My fellow climber, Sini, fell into the water. Sini looked scared but I know she's incredibly brave — I admire her so much. We rescued her from the water but they made it extremely difficult for us by continuing to ram our boats.

Amongst all the commotion I heard a gunshot. They were shouting at us in Russian so I couldn't understand what they were saying but they were pointing guns and knives at us so I knew they were threatening us. All we could do was raise our hands and explain that we were here to protest peacefully. Then I heard another shot. I was so scared for myself and everyone in the inflatables but I was particularly scared for my two friends on the line. Sini, who had managed to get back onto the rope was in a vulnerable position and Kruso who had made it up quite high was being pelted by the water cannons. I never imagined in all my life I'd be threatened with a gun, especially when doing a peaceful non-violent Greenpeace protest.

Half an hour on and the guns were still being fired into the air and water. Sini and Kruso were still taking the brunt of the water cannons — it looked so heavy on their heads. After some time they decided they couldn't go on any longer and started their descent. But the workers on the platform didn't notice or didn’t listen — they carried on firing the water cannons at them and the Coast Guards started pulling their ropes so they'd land in their boat instead.

They took my friends without saying a word and headed back to the Coast Guard ship. My heart stopped for them. The gunshots continued and I wondered how far these people were willing to go to stop us from peacefully protesting against Arctic oil.

I'm back on the Arctic Sunrise where I am safe and warm. But my heart is with my friends and I won't be happy until we're all back together.

The Coast Guard has threatened to open fire on the Arctic Sunrise if we don't leave the area. But of course, they did all this to protect Gazprom and its dangerous Arctic oil ambitions. The real threat to the Arctic is not from Greenpeace's peaceful actions or the millions of people who fight alongside us. It is from companies like Gazprom and Shell who will risk this amazing environment for profit.

I don't know what tonight or tomorrow will bring but I do know that we're here to stop Gazprom producing the world's first oil from the icy waters of the Arctic.

Camila Speziale is a Greenpeace activist from Argentina on the Arctic Oil Tour.

The right of coastal states to establish exclusion zones within the exclusive economic zone is recognised under International Law by Article 60 of the...

The right of coastal states to establish exclusion zones within the exclusive economic zone is recognised under International Law by Article 60 of the United Nations Law Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Article 60 provides for coastal states to establish exclusion zones around offshore installations, extending to a distance not exceeding 500 metres from each point of the outer edge of the installation. Entry into these safety zones is prohibited to all except authorised vessels and has to be cleared with Offshore Installation Manager (OIM) who is accountable for safety and security of installation and personnel. Now, has Prirazlomnaya OIM cleared AS approach to the platform? Has he cleared mountaineering assent onto it? If yes - Russians are acting outwits their rights. If no then Greenpeace is blatantly or ignorantly acting outside of bounds of law, and Rusians are doing everybody a service by showing this bunch of pompous bigots that they are not above laws. Now, which scenario is more likely here? Hmmm, tough one, isn't it?...

Thank you for pointing this out. "Greenpeace" in their claim that they didn't break any laws even gave a reference to the UN charter - a...

Thank you for pointing this out. "Greenpeace" in their claim that they didn't break any laws even gave a reference to the UN charter - apparently, hoping that their audience are lazy, and no-one will actually read it.

If they get judgement for their criminal actions russian authorities will treat them in same way like ALL other people sentenced to stay in jail for s...

If they get judgement for their criminal actions russian authorities will treat them in same way like ALL other people sentenced to stay in jail for some time............ Nothing more, nothing less !!!

Hey, idiots. It most assuredly is not a peaceful protest when you attempt to climb onto the platform. That's breaking an entering. Just what the hell did you think would happen when you tried something like that?

It's a fine idea that GP stands for and all that, but this is just stupidity in action.

I'm not against GP's actions and Will to fight to protect the Arctic. In fact, I applaud your determination and audacity.

However...

I'm not against GP's actions and Will to fight to protect the Arctic. In fact, I applaud your determination and audacity.

However, I think it isn't right to claim your efforts to be peaceful and non-violent. The very word, PROTEST, is a violent refusal to accept the norm at face value; to accept inertia. It takes effort, strength and enormous amount of energy to push for change. No one can refute that.

Therefore to present your actions as non-violent is misleading and will bring on plenty of criticism and unnecessary misunderstandings.

Russia should understand that if an oil spill happens in the Artic(which is very likely),it is putting not only itself, but the entire world in traged...

Russia should understand that if an oil spill happens in the Artic(which is very likely),it is putting not only itself, but the entire world in tragedy. And that is just too big a risk to take for a few billion dollars...

You risk a lot if you are arrested and taken to one of the Russian prison

Siri Saarela

I had seen and read the message

You risk a lot if you are arrested and taken to one of the Russian prison
you will be in big trouble - a lot of trouble
I started Arctic campaign on G+ two months ago
I've created a community where people who want to protect nature
inform all the people you know approximately 5,000 people but I think it will be more

People have different values and care about different issues. The world is a delicate balance of people, animals, and environment. We need to ensure t...

People have different values and care about different issues. The world is a delicate balance of people, animals, and environment. We need to ensure they are all taken care of. If you care about these social issues, I urge you to find some way of helping there. They are very valid issues, but not more valid than any others.